News
Moving photos show of Prince Edward and Countess of Wessex visiting tributes left in Manchester
Emily Sergeant -
16th September 2022 
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, and Sophie Countess of Wessex visited Manchester yesterday ahead of the Queen’s funeral on Monday.
Moving images have since been shared by Manchester City Council of the royal couple arriving to crowds of people paying their respects in the city centre following the death of HM Queen Elizabeth II at aged 96 last week.
The Earl and Countess stayed in Manchester for a few hours to visit the Council’s book of condolence at Manchester Central Library and add their signatures, before moving on to view the floral tributes left in St Ann’s Square by locals in mourning.
Read more: Prince Edward and Countess of Wessex will visit Manchester
The pair also visited Manchester Cathedral to light a candle for her late Majesty and view their books of condolence, as well as meet with volunteers involved with managing the tributes.
Council Leader Bev Craig, Lord Mayor of Manchester Cllr Donna Ludford, and Lord-Lieutenant of Greater Manchester Diane Hawkins were among those on-hand to greet the royals when they arrived in the city and give introductory addresses.
High Sheriff of Greater Manchester Lorraine Worsley-Carter then read the proclamation, before the Earl and Countess moved on to St Ann’s Square.
Photos shared by the Council show the Earl and Countess greeting locals and viewing tributes left.
HM Queen Elizabeth II died aged 96 on 8 September 2022.
During her reign, she served as Queen of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth – undertaking an important symbolic and unifying role as a head of state, spanning numerous geographical regions, cultures, and religions.
She was not just the longest-reigning British monarch in history, but she was also the first-ever monarch to reign in the UK for 70 years.
With the UK now in a 10-day period of national mourning, Queen Elizabeth II’s State Funeral will be held at 11am in Westminster Abbey on Monday 19 September – with a bank holiday declared on the day to allow mourners nationwide the time to properly pay their respects to the late monarch.
Read more:
- 10-day period of national mourning begins following the death of HM Queen Elizabeth II
- Queen Elizabeth II’s State Funeral to be shown for free on big screens in Manchester city centre
- TfGM and GMP issue travel advice for the day of Queen Elizabeth II’s State Funeral
The State Funeral is to be shown for free on several big screens in the city centre, Manchester City Council has confirmed, and you can find more information about that here.
Travel advice around Greater Manchester on Monday issued by TfGM can also be found here.
Featured Image – Manchester City Council
